Back to the Future??
 Apr 13th, 2005
(Nov 25th, 2005)
Advantages:
Old but new car
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Insurance costs
Recommendable:
Yes
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I AM BACK!!!! I have so many people on alerts so i will start to read and comment on ciao'ers revi...
Member since:27.02.2004
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Review rated by 51 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
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I was gobsmacked when my friend announced over the phone to me that she had brought a new car, and turned up in what I am only describe as something that's been imported from the past… Let's take a trip back in time, to the 1950's where on the roads you would find funky cars with excellent and the ultimate in design. Now lets come forward in time and imagine these cars still being on our roads of today…well not quite, but this is what you will think when you spot your first Nissan Figaro on the roads. You will feel like you've shot back 50 years…..
Back in 1991, the well know car company Nissan, arguably designed and produced a most unique car on the market at the time. It was born the "The Nissan Figaro" a cult car then and still is. The Figaro was meant to capture the general spirit of '50s cars in some way, rather than to be a reproduction of a car that had actually existed. Nissan only made 20,000 of these, so as they are very limited in number, they are still well sort after and the price of them hasn't dropped much even after nearly 10 years of them being around.
As they where a "limited edition" car, they where sold to the Japanese market by a way of a raffle system. Back then they where priced at 1,870,000 yen (£10,000) and today you can expect to pay over £6000 for one in good condition.
After years have gone by, these cars have gradually been imported into
the UK where they are really popular, as they look so stylish. Even though they have been imported into the UK, they are still right hand drive as the Japanese drive on the left, so no need for any messy converting! If you have never seen one of these little beauties then you'll be intrigued to find out that his classic 1950's "look a like" is actually built on a Nissan Micra but using a twin-cam, turbo-charged one-litre engine!! It has a automatic gearbox (they all came with them as standard so you won't find a manual one) electric windows and power steering and a roof that comes off making it a cool convertiable for the summer months.
But if you're thinking that this car won't have all the mod con's like today's' cars then you will be surprised to learn that this car is actually very modern. Inside there is a radio/cassette/CD player, which has been designed and built in so it looks and feels retro and doesn't look out of place. It was custom-made especially for the Figaro and was made out of Bakelite-effect plastic. The radio is a little temperamental at times and it's well known for the CD player to not work. The cost of a replacement CD radio for the car is around £300.00. The speakers in the car are adequate.
It has stylish all cream leather-trimmed seats which gives off a feel of luxury. The Figaro all where built as a two plus two, meaning that the two seats in the back is a parcel shelf and will only accommodate two small people/children. As I am only small I can quite comfortably sit in the back, but wouln't want to be a passenger for a long road trip.
The dashboard is finished off with chunky retro looking chrome switches to control the air conditioning and the white thin steering wheel surrounds a generous mother-of-pearl horn.
On the outside, there is chrome, chrome and more chrome to be found. The Nissan Figaro's retro styling has been maximises by the designers adding all this chrome that gives it the 1950's appearance. The lighting units, the grille, the bumpers, hinges and handles have all been "chromed" The body panels are lovely and curvy, which takes the natural line of the car to a classic rather than a new style car. The designers of the Figaro design team took various bits and bob's from a selection of classic cars and merged them into one. For example, Austin Healey provided the grille!
The Figaro is a convertible car, which just adds to the appealing design. It has a sliding soft-top that fold neatly into the boot so it does not spoil the natural lines of the vehicle and looks tidy. I was surprised how easy it was to fold the roof down and take about 5 minutes to do so, so when the weather is sunny , it's a lovey feeling to be out in the car with the wind in your hair. When I got taken out in it, I felt like a movie star from the 50's and I felt I should have worn large dark sunglasses and a hair scarf. Even the wheels have been carefully designed to keep the classic theme. They look like they should belong to some really old car from the 40's or 50's. The hubcaps are white and chrome.
The owners handbook are still avaliable (some appear to buy on ebay) but they are in japanese.
The Figaro was produced in four classic colours: lapis grey, but can look lilac in some lights, pale aqua, emerald (pale green) and the rarer topaz mist which is a caramel colour. My friend's car is in the Lapis Grey, which I think is the best colour out of the four. We have checked so many websites, just out of interest to find out more about these little cars and have found that some people decide to spray the cars different colours which I think ruins the overall look of the car, but that's my personal opinion. There are quite a few famous people who own a Figaro and these include:
Eric Clapton
Nancy Sorrell - (model and girlfriend of Vic Reeves)
Vanessa Feltz
Betty Boo
Jane Goldman (writer and wife of Jonathan Ross)
Frank Skinner
"Everywhere you go it turns heads. People want to talk about the car… It's not flashy, it doesn't guzzle petrol, it doesn't get up anybody's nose... It's a car that makes you smile. It's a witty car, and I don't think they make witty cars anymore. Everyone should have one. If I had to consider something else, I think it would be the number 22 bus, because there isn't another car as perfect as this "- Vanessa Feltz Overall, this car has got to been seen to be believed. It's a classic car that has openly been merged into a modern car, making it a sort after cult car. Once you have brought this car and drive around in it you will be hooked on the amount of heads it turns. It's the ultimate retro car to have, Londoners have gone crazy for them, which means that the prices in London are far higher than anywhere else in the UK, but that goes for most things.
The driveability of the car is really good; turning circle is really good considering it's a smallish car. Everything about this car is loveable, the smallest of details have been given large thought too. Overall, one of the best old new cars around! The Figaro doesn't come with any security features and I have heard of these being stolen to order so my friend has invested in a cover for it and a category 1 alarm.
So where can I buy one from? Ebay normally have a handful each week along with accessories such as rare cup holders, mats. mud flaps and luggage racks etc… which add to the whole Figaro culture and increases the value of your car as the original parts are most sort after. Also there are now lots of dealers that specialise in Figaro attendance and spare parts. You can organise someone to import one for you and expect to pay around £7k which includes all the shipping etc.. The more you pay, the better quality it will be, there are some areas to look at when buying one, as in Japan they don't use salt on the roads in the winter, so it's important to oilwax the underneath to stop the car from rusting.
UPDATE:
After my friend brought one, I am finally getting one of my very own! I will get it on christmas day this year. I am very excited and can not wait. I have choosen one that has a moustache on the front with a Figaro badge on, which is quite rare and sought after. It will also come with the original tool kit!
I am going to buy all the accessories I can to make it all original. and join a Figaro owners club. I have posted some pictures of the car now, as i persuaded my hubby to give it to me now so i have been driving around in it all week! So far I have brought chrome door protectors, cigarette lighter (won't use it) and bidding for a few extra bits on ebay.
The only downside to the car is the expensive insurance as it's a import. I have got insurance at £650 fully comp.
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by (2%):
13.08.2006 12:50
I have hankered over the figaro ever since I first saw one at the Japanese Imports Auction on the Southampton docks. However, with two children - I had to keep focused on the toyota estima people carrier I had come to collect. My heart still jumps everytime I see a figaro though. With regard to insurance - have you tried a company called Osbournes- they specialise in grey imports - we halved our insurance for the estima with them. They have a web page so you can find them on the internet.
11.08.2006 10:27
i must have one of these cars!! i cant drive yet though! x
19.07.2006 13:44
As my wife says "aww, they are sooooooooooo cute" she has been saying she wants one for so long, but they are still pricey for a good example, also my wife is tall and i don;t think she would have enough room to be comfortable.